The Khasis | Page 2

Völker. 1883 Kuhn,
Professor E.--Beiträge zur Sprachenkunde Hinterindiens. 1889.
Lindsay, Lord--"Lives of the Lindsays." Logan, J. R A--series of papers
on the Ethnology of the Indo-Pacific Islands which appeared in the
"Journal of the Indian Archipelago." Mackenzie, Sir
Alexander.--Account of the North-Eastern Frontier Mills, A. J.
M.--Report on the Khasi and Jaintia Hills, 1853 Nissor Singh, U--Hints
on the study of the Khasi language. Nissor Singh, U--Khasi-English
dictionary. Oldham, Thomas--On the geological structure of a portion
of the Khasi Hills, Bengal. Oldham, Thomas--Geology of the Khasi
Hills. Peal, S. E.--On some traces of the Kol-Mon-Anam in the Eastern
Naga Hills. Pryse, Rev. W.--Introduction to the Khasis language,
comprising a grammar, selections for reading, and a vocabulary.
Records of the Eastern Bengal and Assam Secretariat. Roberts, The
Rev. H.--Khasi grammar. Robinson--Assam. Scott, Sir George--Upper
Burma Gazetteer. Shadwell, J. B.--Notes on the Khasis. Stack
E.--Notes on silk in Assam. Waddell, Colonel--Account of the Assam
tribes.J.A S.B. Ward, Sir William--Introduction to the Assam Land
Revenue Manual. Weinberg, E.--Report on Excise in Assam. Yule, Sir
Henry--Notes on the Khasi Hills and people.

Contents
Introduction xv-xxvii Section I.--General.
Habitat 1-2 Appearance 2-3 Physical and General Characteristics 3-6
Geographical Distribution 6-10 Origin 10-11 Affinities 11-18 Dress
18-21 Tattooing 21 Jewellery 22-23 Weapons 23-26

Section II.--Domestic Life.
Occupation 26-28 Apiculture 28-30 Houses 30-33 Villages 33-35
Furniture and Household Utensils 36-38 Musical Instruments 38-39
Agriculture 39-43 Crops 43-48 Hunting 48-49 Fishing 49-51 Food
51-52 Drink 52-54 Games 54-57 Manufactures 57-61
Section III.--Laws and Customs.
Tribal Organization 62-66 State Organization 66-75 Marriage 76-79
Divorce 79-81 Inheritance 82-85 Adoption 85-86 Tenure of Land and
Laws regarding Land 86-91
Laws regarding other Property 91 Decision of Disputes 91-97 War
97-98 Human Sacrifices 98-104
Section IV.--Religion.
General Character of Popular Beliefs 105-109 Ancestor Worship
109-113 Worship of Natural Forces and of Deities 114-116 Religious
Rites and Sacrifices, Divination 116-120 Priesthood 120-124
Ceremonies and Customs attending Birth and Naming of Children
124-127 Marriage 127-132 Ceremonies attending Death 132-139
Disposal of the Dead 140-144 Khasi Memorial Stones 144-154
Festivities, Domestic and Tribal 154-157 Genna 158-159
Section V.--Folk-Lore.
Folk-tales 160-187
Section VI.--Miscellaneous.
Teknonomy 188 Khasi Method of Calculating Time 188-190 The
Lynngams 190-197
Section VII.--Language 198-215 Appendices.
A--Exogamous Clans in the Cherra State 216-217 B--Exogamous Clans
in the Khyrim State 218-220 C--Divination by Egg-Breaking 221-222

Index 223-227

Introduction
In 1908 Sir Bampfylde Fuller, then Chief Commissioner of Amman,
proposed and the Government of India sanctioned, the preparation of a
series of monographs on the more important tribes and castes of the
Province, of which this volume is the first. They were to be undertaken
by writers who had special and intimate experience of the races to be
described, the accounts of earlier observers being at the same time
studied and incorporated; a uniform scheme of treatment was laid down
which was to be adhered to in each monograph, and certain limits of
size were prescribed.
Major Gurdon, the author of the following pages, who is also, as
Superintendent of Ethnography in Assam, editor of the whole series,
has enjoyed a long and close acquaintance with the Khasi race, whose
institutions he has here undertaken to describe. Thoroughly familiar
with their language, he has for three years been in charge as
Deputy-Commissioner of the district where they dwell, continually
moving among them, and visiting every part of the beautiful region
which is called by their name. The administration of the Khasi and
Jaintia Hills is an exceptionally interesting field of official
responsibility. About half of the district, including the country around
the capital, Shillong, is outside the limits of British India, consisting of
a collection of small states in political relations, regulated by treaty
with the Government of India, which enjoy almost complete autonomy
in the management of their local affairs. In the remainder, called the
Jaintia Hills, which became British in 1835, it has been the wise policy
of the Government to maintain the indigenous system of administration
through officers named dolois, who preside over large areas of country
with very little interference. All the British portion of the hills is what
is called a "Scheduled District" under Acts XIV and XV of 1874, and
legislation which may be inappropriate to the conditions of the people
can be, and is, excluded from operation within it. In these
circumstances the administration is carried on in a manner well

calculated to win the confidence and attachment of the people, who
have to hear few of the burdens which press upon the population
elsewhere, and, with the peace and protection guaranteed by British
rule, are able to develop their institutions upon indigenous lines. It is
now more than forty years since any military operations have been
necessary within the hills, and the advance of the district in prosperity
and civilization during the last half-century has been very striking.
The